WHOLE
"So, where did Alexis go? She didn't sound too happy talking on the phone", she asked with an inquiring look on her face.
"Well", he said, "Ashley's in the city for the weekend so she's staying over at his place tonight. They have to talk. I'm kind of worried about it."
They were at Castle's loft. It had been a long eventful day, but they made it through, just like they always did.
Kate's eyes sparkled as she watched Rick's face, twisted in concern for his daughter. She said nothing, but just stared into his eyes. She thought about the events of the day, how she got so close to losing him. For a moment, when she heard the explosion and stood helplessly outside the bank, she thought she did. She winced at the memory, her face flinching in pain.
"What's wrong?", he asked, searching her face.
She wanted to speak, but couldn't put into words how she felt. 'What's wrong?' So many things were wrong right now. This last couple of months she found herself walking on thin ice when it came to Rick. She wanted him to know how much she cared. But if he did, then there was no turning back. He would know what she's been hiding all this time, all those feelings bottled up inside her always rearing their head and threatening to show. And she wasn't sure if she was ready for that.
"Just thinking about what happened today". She made a brief pause, hesitating. "I thought I'd never see you again", she said, her voice breaking a bit at the end. She took a zip of her wine, but the lump in her throat made it hard for her to swallow.
"It's okay, I'm okay" he said, reassuring her.
She sighted in frustration, looking away. It was so much more than that. He tucked one fingertip under her chin and drew her up to meet his eyes.
"Talk to me, Kate" he said in a tender voice.
She felt his breath brush her lips. He was so close. She could feel the electricity building up.
"Castle, I can't", she said bluntly.
"Why not?", he demanded.
"I just can't. I'm sorry, I should go". She put down the glass and started making her way out the door, when Rick pulled her arm and turned her around. He gazed at her, searching for answers in her eyes. Her heart pounded fiercely in surprise.
"Rick", she whispered, almost inaudible.
"Kate", he whispered back, an inch from her face. He knew better, she needed space. But this time it was different. There was something written all over her, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. There was this glint in her eyes, so powerful.
He explored her face, trying to unravel her expression. She struggled to break his hypnotic hold on her and look away, but she was drawn to him, like magnets. The air around them became thick, and they stood fixed to the floor unable to make a sound other than their breathing.
She couldn't find the strength to fight it anymore.
She pounced towards him merging their lips together while she threaded her fingers into his hair. And just like that, all her worries washed away as she felt the touch of his mouth. It took him a couple of seconds to overcome the shock, but then he did and before they knew it they were burying themselves into the kiss. He heard the soft sound of invitation in the back of her throat, and lifted his palms to grab the sides of her face. She tasted so good it was addictive. It was even better than he remembered, and he didn't even realize how much he craved for it until just now.
They pulled away from each other for a moment, gasping for air. He put his forehead against hers, and looked into her eyes. He wasn't sure what he would find in them, maybe regret? But they were dark with desire. The corner of his mouth twitched up with wonder.
He bent down to kiss her again, but this time the emotion overpowered him, and he took her by the waist and pulled her closer intently. She was moaning against his mouth, like last time. His hands started sliding up and down her back, while hers were now gripping his hair and pulling it fiercely.
They started spinning uncontrollably, stumbling against the walls and the furniture. Before he could know it, they were already at the door to his bedroom. Frozen in tension by his awareness, he pulled away from her.
"Kate" he said with an uneasy tone in his voice. "Are you sure you want to this? I mean, I can wait for you. It's not easy, but I'm willing to do that. For you."
"Rick, this feels right. Trying to stay away from you is exhausting", she said with a strangely pleading tone.
He studied her closely. Her fingers caressed the back of his neck as she raised her other hand and rested it on his chest.
Locking her gaze, he nodded understandingly and slowly started to pull up her t-shirt, leaving a warm trail wherever his fingers touched her skin. She took off his jacket and started unbuttoning his shirt, as she leaned towards him to kiss him again. All she wanted was to taste him, to breathe him. He unbuckled his belt with her help, and then flicked open the button on her jeans and slid the zipper. They pulled each other's pants down, freeing themselves of them and leaving a messy pile on the floor.
Still kissing in a close embrace, he slowly started backing her against the bed. She needed to feel his touch, needed to feel him inside her. And he needed her as much. The waiting, the sorrow, the fear...it all came crumbling down as they surrendered to each other. He unhooked her black lace bra and slid it off. He grazed his lips down to her collarbone, then to her chest, then to her breasts, where he found the pink scar that held the memories of the worse day of his life. So small, hidden every day behind her clothes as if it wasn't there at all. Still, it was very much there, a constant reminder of all the pain they felt and the reason why they couldn't be together until now. But as much as it reminisced him of the day he lost her, it also stood for the day she came back to him alive. He raised his eyes and looked at her meaningfully, and realized her breath had cut short. Her eyes glistened, watching him carefully. He reached down again and planted a soft kiss on the wound. He felt her gasp. That scar meant a lot of things to her as well.
She glided her left hand downwards and reached for his boxers pulling them off, while he continued to make his way downwards, the touch of his lips tracing a path on her skin. He absorbed her scent fervently, the intoxicating sweetness of cherries making him dizzy. When he reached her folds, she arched up to him in anticipation. He traced soft kisses over her underwear, and she shuddered against him, writhing. He grinned at the effect he didn't know he had in her. Grabbing the edges of her panties, he started sliding them off of her legs very slowly, the touch of her silky skin making him weak. She took a deep breath. She had been set free from that last piece of garment that stood between her and Rick.
He looked over at her, immobile, taking in what it meant to have Kate naked in his bed for the very first time. She was everything to him right now. He fantasized about it so many times, but never imagined she would look so good, smell so good, taste so good. She was looking passionately at him, flushing as she grasped the meaning of the situation as well.
"You are so beautiful" he whispered to her ear in a soft voice, overwhelmed.
She smiled shyly. She held still as he started stroking her inner thighs with his fingertips, crawling back down to part her legs, finding her nub. His warm breath tickled her, her responsiveness heightened. He planted excruciatingly light kisses on her. She was already wet as he opened his mouth and started licking her clit gently, moving up and down to her folds. She struggled beneath him, gasping for air as she took pleasure in how good he felt. She rolled her hips against his face, her fingers clenching the sheets trying to hold on to something. Sliding two fingers into her, he continued to lick her, amplifying the intensity. She moaned deeply, tossing her head back in pleasure. She was breathing hard, and without realizing, one of her hands was tugging Rick's hair and the other pulling her own. The feeling grew stronger and stronger until it overcame her, and she shattered into a million pieces underneath him.
But this wasn't enough. She wasn't satisfied, not until she could feel him inside her.
As he leaned in, she smiled softly at him. He stopped for a moment, contemplating her expression. With his fingers, he brushed her hair off her face, caressing her sweetly. She looked at him expectantly, and without saying a word she relaxed against him, her breathing still unsteady. He snaked his arms around her waist and held her firmly.
And then they became one. He was hers, and she was his. Everything around them just faded to black, and all they could do was feel the powerful connection between them, as if there were a whip made of electrified wires drawing them closer together. After all this years, they were finally whole. He held still for a long moment, the feeling of being inside her slowly sinking in. And then he began thrusting, her eyes fluttering closed with every push.
They didn't speak. There was no need. They stared into each other's eyes, understanding what the other felt. Those three little words, even though unspoken, were there and as present as ever. They relished in how good they felt locked together. He closed his eyes and heard her moan against his skin, and he grunted in pleasure. There was no pain, no fear, just love.
He took her hand and intertwined their fingers tightly, as they fused into a burning kiss. She tangled one leg around his waist and the other around his leg, pressing harder. Her breathing was rough and erratic as she strained against him. He grinded his hips, whispering her name into the air around them.
In a quick and effortless movement, he managed to turn them over so that she was on top. Carefully, he sat down, and her legs interlaced between his hips, draping her arms across his shoulders. She could read him like an open book. What he wanted, what he needed from her. She started moving in circles, gradually increasing the urgency of her pace. His hold became more and more intense as he tried to touch her all at once. She dug her nails to his back, and he could tell she was near. But he didn't want this to end. He was bound to her now, he wouldn't let go. He was never letting go.
He could feel her as if she were an extension of his own body. Every single tremor that started in hers, flowed towards his. They could see through the other like light piercing through glass. And what they saw, they found it beautiful and pure.
He kissed her breasts, his fingers twining into her hair. Her back arched in pleasure, her moans and whimpers becoming louder and desperate vibrating against his skin. His hands pressed against her back, tugging her closer to him and thrusting deeper into her. He growled low in his chest, feeling the heat rise in him.
They fought against it, trying to prolong the moment. She was panting and convulsing, feeling the tension boil up in her, about to detonate. They started to lose themselves, spiraling upwards and flying over a thousand moons. Suddenly, their whole worlds collided together. He watched her fall apart in his arms, as he fell over the edge himself.
She stayed on his lap for a while, kissing his neck and gently stroking his hair while he drew senseless patterns along her spine with his fingertips. She wanted him inside her a little bit more, just to hold on to that feeling. Finally, he took her face in his hands and planted a kiss on her forehead.
"That was amazing", she said, still catching her breath.
"It was", Rick said, holding her tight.
They fell on their backs and he put an arm around her, shifting his body so she could place her head on his chest. She closed her eyes and began to doze off, while he played with locks from her hair and stared at her in awe. Eventually, he started drifting to sleep as well.
As he faded away, he thought about telling her he loved her, but he had a feeling she could already tell from the way they made love. And now he knew, she loved him too.